1 Thessalonians
Lesson 6: The Hope Of Heaven1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
In the previous lesson, we looked at how to live a Christian life; and we concluded that rather than following rule after rule and a list of do’s and don’ts, our guiding principle should be to "live a life pleasing to God." Let this also be a guiding principle for you, as each day you are faced with choices, dilemmas, struggles, and obstacles. Let your decisions and your lifestyle be something that pleases God. Follow this path, and you will be amazed at the burdens that will be lifted from you.
In this lesson, we will be examining a doctrine (teaching) in the Bible quite unlike anything that you may ever have considered before—the doctrine of the Rapture. The Rapture is the belief that at some undetermined point in time, all Christians, both alive and dead, will be instantly resurrected and caught up to meet Christ in the air. May God open your hearts and minds this week as we study this great doctrine—one that provides every believer with hope for tomorrow.
Once again, I have pasted below two key passages using the Living Bible translation. One is from 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, and the other is from Revelation Chapter 19. Please read these, then consider the questions which follow.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – "Caught Up"
And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.
Rev 19:4-16 – Marriage Supper of The Lamb
Then the twenty–four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, "Amen! Hallelujah!" And from the throne came a voice that said, "Praise our God, all his servants, from the least to the greatest, all who fear him." Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the finest white linen." (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.) And the angel said, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These are true words that come from God." Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don’t worship me. For I am a servant of God, just like you and other brothers and sisters who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords.
The term "Rapture" cannot be found in the Bible (for that matter, the word "Bible" can’t be found in it either). This doctrine gets its name from the Greek word for being "caught up." Thus, someone who is "caught up" in a piece of music for instance is said to be enraptured. Thus, the doctrine of the Rapture centers on the belief and hope that Christ will at some point call all of us up to Him before the end of this age, so that we may receive our resurrected bodies and return to live and reign with him during his millennial reign. It was originally written to comfort early Christians, who had the mistaken belief that a person who was not living when Christ returned would miss spending an eternity in heaven with Him. Paul’s words comforted them, and they provide us comfort as well, as we look forward to the day that Christ returns for us.
- One question that is often raised is "Will the Church go through the great tribulation period, or will the rapture occur before it begins?" Read both passages, then answer the following:
- Who is the "Bride" described in Revelation Chapter 19? (see also Mark 2:18-20, for example)
- Who is the rider on the white horse?
- Who is also called the "Word" of God in the New Testament? (see John 1:11-14)
- Do you believe we can conclude from this that the Church has to be in heaven in order to return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation Period and the beginning of his Millennial Reign?
- What do you suppose Paul means when he writes that the dead in Christ will rise first? Aren’t they in heaven already?
- What do you suppose it means when the Bible says that Christ will be coming in "clouds of Glory?" Could those "clouds" be the Church, his Bride, i.e., all of the Christians since the beginning of the church? If so, how did they/we get there with him?
- If all this is true, why does this give us hope; and what should we be doing today?
With the hope of heaven, we can eagerly look forward to the return of Jesus and the establishment of his earthly throne; and we can look beyond that to our eternal home where we will live with God and His Son Jesus forever. We should carry that joy, that Good News—the Gospel, to as many as we can; so that they may experience this same joy and inner peace, knowing that heaven is their destination.
May God bless you as we continue to study His Holy Word!
In Christ,
Wes
[2019]